Cape Town - The murder accused in the case of slain vet Dr Natheem Jacobs will hear in two weeks if he will be granted bail.
Jovan Williams allegedly stabbed the SPCA vet on March 2.
His defence lawyer, Thando Joni, said his client admitted to being at the scene that night.
In earlier reports, Williams said he used the light of his cellphone to look inside and saw car tyres, before finding himself suddenly surrounded by three men on Lady May Street, Garlandale.
He said the men asked what he was doing there and started assaulting him, and he grabbed his pocket knife and stabbed Jacobs.
Joni told the Cape Argus: “It was self-defence, he (Williams) was being assaulted and he didn’t murder him, as much as he died, my client had no intention to kill him (Jacobs).
“He acted in (self-defence) when he was assaulted by a baseball bat, he stabbed him and he ran away from the scene. They were not allowed to beat my client, their duty was to call the police, they didn’t have the right to do that.”
Jacobs’s family said he heard noises outside his Garlandale home and when he went to investigate, he was stabbed with an unknown object.
The police spent months looking for Williams, who was the prime suspect after his cellphone was found on the scene.
The investigating officer turned to the media, and after seeing himself in the newspaper, Williams turned himself in.
He applied for bail which the State is opposing, saying he is a flight risk and has no fixed address because his mother and wife have a protection order against him.
It was revealed that Williams had a criminal past, and his crimes range from three attempted murder cases to possession of stolen property, malicious damage to property, possession of ammunition, possession of drugs, common assault and disobeying a protection order.
In one case of possession of property, he used the name Romano Williams, in other crimes he used Johan, Jonas and Riedwaan, according to the affidavit.
On Tuesday, the defence and State concluded their arguments and await judgment to be heard on September 13.